Expanding Concepts of Care: Mental Health Nurses as Architects of Digital Health Transformation in Canada
Mental health nurses in Canada have an opportunity to be a leading force that drives health care innovation in 2025. How can we do collectively take the lead on this? The answer lies in strongly advocating for and embracing optimization of the scope of practice of Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Nurse Practitioners (who are also RNs) and increasingly integrating informatics into their work. As the country confronts evolving mental health needs and the growing complexity of health care systems, nurses who work in mental health have unique opportunities, and also responsibilities to shape informatics, elevate care quality, and assume leadership roles in digital transformation.
The term “mental health nurse” is inclusive of both Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) who are educated and licensed to provide specialized care to people experiencing mental health issues and to be leaders in the health care system in mental health. In Canada, RNs complete a generalist nursing education and may specialize in mental health within their practice, while RPNs undertake dedicated education in psychiatric nursing and are regulated as a separate profession in provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Both roles provide direct care, advocate for patients, and collaborate with interprofessional teams, but RPNs focus on mental health and illness, while RNs may work across a broader range of health care settings.
Recent updates to professional regulation have broadened the scope of practice for mental health nurses, emphasizing the use of professional judgment, flexible assessment, and competency-based care. The shift supports nurses to fully utilize their skills in response to diverse populations and changing care environments. Mental health nurses are now more empowered to lead direct care, educate, collaborate in research, and drive systemic change. This expanded remit supports mental health nurses to innovate and advocate for enhanced models of care and supports digital transformation in practice.
The integration of digital health technologies, such as electronic health records (EHRs), artificial intelligence (AI), and real-time data analytics, is fundamentally reshaping mental health practice in Canada. Mental health nurses are uniquely positioned to guide the design, implementation, and optimization of these tools, ensuring they are aligned with patient needs and clinical realities. However, to do this mental health nurses must embrace the role of technology in health care, as well as recognize the pervasive role of technology in society.
Key opportunities for mental health nurses include:
Organizations such as the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) now require and support informatics competency development for all nurses, including mental health nurses, recognizing that digital literacy is central to delivering effective, modern care.
Across Canada, mental health nurses are increasingly assuming leadership roles across health care but also, importantly, in education, social service, and government organizations. From Chief Nursing Informatics Officers (CNIOs) to informatics project leads, these nurses advocate for the responsible, inclusive adoption of technology in mental health care. Their leadership is essential for ensuring technology is implemented in ways that address stigma, improve equity, and support recovery-oriented practice.
Research consistently demonstrates that nurse-led informatics initiatives result in safer, more coordinated, and higher-quality care. To strengthen this leadership, organizations must:
Nurse leaders in organizations like the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) are leading this change.
Despite substantial progress, barriers to fully realizing the informatics leadership potential of mental health nurses remain. Challenges include limited access to formal informatics education, organizational barriers to leadership roles, and uneven recognition (but also sometimes participation) of psychiatric nursing’s contributions to digital health. Moving forward, the profession and its regulatory bodies must:
This bus is driving forward with or without us, so let's be the ones to help map the path and build the road. In 2025, Canada’s mental health nurses (RNs, RPNs, LPNs and NPs) are driving health care forward by embracing their full scope of practice and leading the integration of informatics into mental health care. Their expertise ensures that digital tools and data-driven systems enhance, rather than replace, the therapeutic and relational foundations of care. By investing in digital literacy, supporting informatics leadership, and championing inclusive practice, mental health nurses are essential architects of Canada’s innovative, patient-centered mental health system.
Love,
Michelle D.
Understanding “Mental Health Nurse” in Canada
The term “mental health nurse” is inclusive of both Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) who are educated and licensed to provide specialized care to people experiencing mental health issues and to be leaders in the health care system in mental health. In Canada, RNs complete a generalist nursing education and may specialize in mental health within their practice, while RPNs undertake dedicated education in psychiatric nursing and are regulated as a separate profession in provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Both roles provide direct care, advocate for patients, and collaborate with interprofessional teams, but RPNs focus on mental health and illness, while RNs may work across a broader range of health care settings.
Expanding the Scope: Modernization in 2025
Recent updates to professional regulation have broadened the scope of practice for mental health nurses, emphasizing the use of professional judgment, flexible assessment, and competency-based care. The shift supports nurses to fully utilize their skills in response to diverse populations and changing care environments. Mental health nurses are now more empowered to lead direct care, educate, collaborate in research, and drive systemic change. This expanded remit supports mental health nurses to innovate and advocate for enhanced models of care and supports digital transformation in practice.
Integrating Informatics: Innovation & Opportunity
The integration of digital health technologies, such as electronic health records (EHRs), artificial intelligence (AI), and real-time data analytics, is fundamentally reshaping mental health practice in Canada. Mental health nurses are uniquely positioned to guide the design, implementation, and optimization of these tools, ensuring they are aligned with patient needs and clinical realities. However, to do this mental health nurses must embrace the role of technology in health care, as well as recognize the pervasive role of technology in society.
Key opportunities for mental health nurses include:
- Adopting AI-enabled triage, risk prediction, and digital therapeutic tools to personalize care at scale.
- Championing data-driven decision-making to improve patient outcomes and safety across settings.
- Collaborating in the development of interoperable systems that connect mental health, primary care, and community resources using standardized, meaningful nursing data.
- Participating in informatics policy, contributing nursing insights to ensure technology is ethically deployed and truly enhances care.
Organizations such as the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) now require and support informatics competency development for all nurses, including mental health nurses, recognizing that digital literacy is central to delivering effective, modern care.
Leadership and Advocacy in Informatics
Across Canada, mental health nurses are increasingly assuming leadership roles across health care but also, importantly, in education, social service, and government organizations. From Chief Nursing Informatics Officers (CNIOs) to informatics project leads, these nurses advocate for the responsible, inclusive adoption of technology in mental health care. Their leadership is essential for ensuring technology is implemented in ways that address stigma, improve equity, and support recovery-oriented practice.
Research consistently demonstrates that nurse-led informatics initiatives result in safer, more coordinated, and higher-quality care. To strengthen this leadership, organizations must:
- Support ongoing professional development in digital skills and AI literacy.
- Foster interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring mental health nurses’ voices are central in technology planning and governance.
- Elevate the visibility of nursing informatics leadership by promoting mentorship, supporting communities of practice, and dedicating resources for nurse-driven change.
Navigating Barriers and Next Steps
Despite substantial progress, barriers to fully realizing the informatics leadership potential of mental health nurses remain. Challenges include limited access to formal informatics education, organizational barriers to leadership roles, and uneven recognition (but also sometimes participation) of psychiatric nursing’s contributions to digital health. Moving forward, the profession and its regulatory bodies must:
- Continue to develop robust, accessible digital health education and informatics frameworks tailored to mental health nursing.
- Integrate informatics as a core part of both initial and continuing education for all mental health nurses.
- Invest in research to demonstrate the impact of mental health nurses in shaping and leading digital health, supporting stronger advocacy at policy and organizational levels.
Creating the Path Forward
This bus is driving forward with or without us, so let's be the ones to help map the path and build the road. In 2025, Canada’s mental health nurses (RNs, RPNs, LPNs and NPs) are driving health care forward by embracing their full scope of practice and leading the integration of informatics into mental health care. Their expertise ensures that digital tools and data-driven systems enhance, rather than replace, the therapeutic and relational foundations of care. By investing in digital literacy, supporting informatics leadership, and championing inclusive practice, mental health nurses are essential architects of Canada’s innovative, patient-centered mental health system.
Love,
Michelle D.
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